YUMMY SLOPPY JOE GRILLED CHEESE

SLOPPY JOE GRILLED CHEESE

🍔 Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese: The Melt-in-Your-Mouth Mashup Your Kids Will Beg For

 

What happens when two comfort food legends—Sloppy Joes and grilled cheese—fall in love and have a gooey, delicious baby? You get the glorious, messy masterpiece known as Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese. This isn’t just dinner—it’s a celebration of buttery bread, melty cheese, and saucy goodness all smashed together in a panini-worthy hug.

Inspired by the Lou Lou Girls’ “Best Sloppy Joes Ever,” this recipe is straight from Kimberly’s kitchen—aka the spot where Cassie comes running home just for a bite and Lisa planned her baptism lunch around red buns and Sloppy Joe joy. ❤️

So grab your skillet and let’s get cozy!

We love sloppy joes and we love grilled cheeses and I didn’t think combining them would be this good, but it is! I have two daughters that would request sloppy joes at least once a week. The buttery toasted bread with homemade sloppy joe mix is so yummy!

This is the absolute comfort food! You can whip this up in minutes and put smiles on everyone’s face. Perfect for a busy night or when you just need some yummy goodness!

 

 

SLOPPY JOE GRILLED CHEESE

🧀 Ingredients: Messy Magic in Every Bite

From sloppy filling to the grilled cheese crust, here’s what you’ll need:

Sloppy Joe Filling:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cans chicken gumbo soup
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1½ tablespoons mustard
• ½ cup chopped onion

Grilled Cheese Assembly:

• 8 slices of thick sandwich bread (Texas toast or sourdough is perfect)
• 8 slices cheddar cheese (or mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

Optional:

• Red burger buns (for Cassie & Lisa’s signature touch!)
• Pickles or jalapeños for a little kick

 

🔪 Step-by-Step Directions: How to Make Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

1. Make the Sloppy Joe Filling

• In a large skillet, cook 2 lbs of ground beef over medium-high heat until browned. Break it up as it cooks.
• Add ½ cup chopped onion to the beef and sauté until soft—about 2–3 minutes.
• Drain any excess grease from the skillet.
• Stir in 2 cans of chicken gumbo soup, 1½ cups ketchup, and 1½ tablespoons mustard.
• Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a juicy, saucy dream.

2. Assemble Your Sandwiches

• Butter one side of each slice of bread (you’ll need 8 slices total).
• Lay 4 slices butter-side-down onto a cutting board or clean surface.
• Add one slice of cheese on each, then spoon a generous heap of sloppy joe filling over the cheese.
• Top with another cheese slice (double cheese = double joy).
• Finish with another slice of bread, butter-side-up.

3. Grill to Perfection

• Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Carefully transfer each sandwich to the hot pan and cook for 2–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
• Press lightly with a spatula to help everything stick together and crisp up.
• If you’re using a panini press, close the lid and grill until melty and golden.

4. Cool, Slice, and Serve

• Let sandwiches rest for 1 minute before cutting—they’ll hold together better and save your tongue from a molten cheese burn.
• Slice diagonally and serve with chips, fruit, or a small salad.

 

🍽️ Calorie Count & Nutritional Facts (Per Sandwich)

📌 Numbers vary based on bread and cheese type, but this sandwich is totally worth every calorie.

 

 

🔥 Cooking Tips for Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese Success

• Drain with care: After browning your ground beef, drain excess fat to keep the filling saucy—not greasy.
• Grill slow and low: Medium heat ensures crispy bread without burning and gives cheese time to melt.
• Use softened butter: It spreads evenly and gives your bread that perfect golden crunch.
• Let it sit: After grilling, let sandwiches rest for a minute—cheese firms up, and no one burns their tongue!
• Double down: Use shredded cheese inside AND slices for max melt-factor.

 

🔄 Recipe Variations to Mix It Up

Want to make your Sloppy Joe grilled cheese truly unforgettable? Try one of these fun twists:

👩‍🍳 Pro tip: Use a panini press for crispy perfection, or go old school with a cast-iron skillet.

 

🧒 Kid Tips: Let the Little Hands Help!

Making dinner is a family affair in the Lou Lou Girls kitchen. Here’s how your mini chefs can pitch in:

• 🧂 Measuring Magic: Kids love scooping ketchup and mustard into the mix—just prep for tiny giggles and accidental splashes.
• 🍔 Layer Like a Pro: Let them build sandwiches by adding cheese and scooping filling. It’s like edible LEGO!
• 🖌️ Butter Brigade: Older kids can butter bread with a pastry brush for even coverage (and fewer sticky fingerprints).
• 🎉 Red Bun Theme Night: Host a color-themed dinner where everyone wears red—Lisa-style!
• 📸 Food Photographer Moment: Ask kids to snap pics of their sandwich creations for your family cookbook.

Want to keep dinner feeling fun and educational? Ask them to count cheese slices or write a “menu” for the evening. It’s memory-making, the Lou Lou Girls way.

 

Saucy, Toasty, Totally Adored

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese is the kind of hybrid dinner that makes your whole house smell like happiness. It’s equal parts cozy and exciting, with nostalgic sloppy goodness and melty cheese magic that satisfies kids, teens, and tired grownups alike.

Plus, it’s customizable, cook-ahead friendly, and perfect for making dinner just a little bit special—even on a Monday. Put a plate of these in front of your crew and get ready for cheers, hugs, and requests for “this again tomorrow.”

 

Did you try our SLOPPY JOE GRILLED CHEESE recipe? What did you think? Did you love it? We would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram! 

Why Not Make Dinner Your New Favorite Tradition?

Let’s be real: the combination of sloppy joe filling and grilled cheese toastiness is dangerously irresistible. It’s more than a mash-up—it’s a mealtime love story. Whether you’re celebrating a special moment (like Lisa’s baptism and favorite red buns 💕), or just trying to win Tuesday night dinner, this recipe’s got you.

Serve it up with fries, salad, or fruit kabobs for a complete meal. Or just grab some napkins and call it good!

So now it’s your turn—get those ingredients, turn up the skillet heat, and bring some Lou Lou Girls love to your kitchen. Let me know if you want a themed dinner ideas, or a matching dessert (I’m thinking cherry hand pies or cookie dough milkshakes 😍).

Let’s make dinner ridiculously fun again! 🍔🧡